Patients that undergo scanning examinations, for example MR scans, are often highly stressed. The long and narrow tunnel of MR scanners creates a feeling of confinement and, therefore, increases anxiety or induces claustrophobia type symptoms.
The quality of scanning results may be negatively affected if a patient is highly anxious. Therefore, in order to improve scanning results or at least for improving the comfort of patients there is a need for reducing or compensating patient's negative experience of scanners and scanner rooms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,929 discloses an MR video system that provides visual stimuli to a patient who is undergoing diagnostic treatment within a magnetic resonance imagery (MR) apparatus. The system utilizes a magnetically inert and RF shielded projector located in the close proximity to the MR apparatus to transpose a video picture on a translucent screen inside the bore of the MR apparatus. The patient views the screen through a prism.
Whereas U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,929 discloses a system which may improve the comfort of patients in scanner rooms, the inventor of the present invention has appreciated that improvements for improving patient comfort are needed, and has in consequence devised the present invention.